Yeast roll question

[Linda123]

Hello everyone,

I like to make a very sweet yeast roll, however, the rolls do not get as light as I would like them to be, but the family loves the taste. I start the dough in my bread machine and sometimes leave it in the machine to rise and sometimes I take it out and put it in a bowl, but it never really rises as much as I think it should.

4 1/2 cups flour
1 egg
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp salt

The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of sugar. Is the amount of sugar I add too much for the yeast? Am I letting the machine knead it too long (1/2 hour)?

I am sure it's not my yeast as it has been a consistantly low-rising bread and I am careful about the temperature of the water I put it in. Any suggestions on how I can make the above recipe so light you need to put some butter on them to keep them on the plate would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Wyogal]

Have you tried following the original recipe? 1 cup of sugar is a lot.

 

[Linda123]

A long time ago and I don't really remember how they turned out....but the family prefers to have "flat" sweeter rolls, so I am looking for a way to improve the "lightness" - I tried more yeast, less salt and more salt, slightly higher/lower temp water for the yeast, rising in a very warm place, rising in a cooler place....

 

[Selkie]

All that is needed is 1 tbls, of sugar to your 1 tbls. of yeast in order to more than double a normal batch of dough. The rest of that sugar is to give the dough a sweet flavor, NOT to feed the yeast. Most of your yeast will simply feed of the flour.

Water temperature of the water should not exceed 108 degrees. Body temperature is best.

I use 1/2 tablespoon of salt (1-1/2 teaspoons). Salt gives the bread flavor.

Kneading your dough for 30 minutes develops your gluten into a tough consistency. Using a machine to knead should only take 8-10 minutes for the chewiest of bread, and only about 3-5 minutes for soft rolls.

Light texture also comes from letting the dough rise (proof) for a long time after forming them into rolls and placing on a baking sheet. Depending on your humidity and temperature, proofing can take as little as 1 hour, or as long as 3 hours. And don't brush the top with butter (or milk) until just before you put them into the oven. Brushing the tops before proofing will make them flatter than they should be.

For anyone interested in bread baking, I recommend "Beard on Bread" - by James Beard, one of the top 10 bakers the world has ever seen.

Enjoy!

 

[ChefJune]

Unless you are using whole wheat flour, you are kneading the dough too long. Try 10 to 12 minutes instead. The amount of sugar should not be a problem.

 

[Linda123]

Thanks!!!! I will try a shorter knead time. I use (white) bread flour and I don't brush the rolls with butter 'til they come out of the oven so that wasn't the cause. Oh - should I use regular all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?

 

[Selkie]

I prefer bread flour for most baking, but for soft rolls a 50/50 mix of bread flour and all purpose will work well. All purpose, by itself for rolls, isn't something I would consider using. For biscuits and quick breads, yes, but bread and rolls, I wouldn't.

 

[Linda123]

Thank you!!!!I will definitely knead less and use half all-purpose flour next time! You guys rock!

 

[ChefJune]

I prefer bread flour for most baking, but for soft rolls a 50/50 mix of bread flour and all purpose will work well. All purpose, by itself for rolls, isn't something I would consider using. For biscuits and quick breads, yes, but bread and rolls, I wouldn't.

That's very interesting. I have been baking bread more than 60 years, and I've never used anything (for white breads) other than all-purpose, unbleached flour. And I achieve fantastically delicious, light results. So for me, I would say you don't need any special flours.

Practice -- getting accustomed to how the dough should be at every stage of the making/baking process -- is (imho) the key to success in bread baking. I can still recall the door stops I turned out when I first started baking with whole grain flours! Even though I was an accomplished bread baker (with ap flour) learning how to use the whole grain flour was a new thing.

 

[Linda123]

Okay, I need to drop back and punt, so to speak....I've made 2 batches since I posted....I kneaded about 10 minutes both times and used half bread flour once and tried one batch with just all purpose flour....and am still not satisfied with my results. Who has a recipe for "light" rolls? I'll work on getting the sweeter taste later. Thanks!

 

[babetoo]

martha stewart has super recipe for light rolls. i googled but you can go to her web site. hope this helps

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Ok, I've praised this recipe, given me by my DIL. It makes the softest, melt-in-your-mouth dinner rolls that I have ever eaten. They are slightly sweet and very buttery. I also used the recipe to make the best cinnamon rolls, and yeast raised doughnuts that I have ever made. It turns out that this recipe was a doughnut recipe, used to make dinner rolls, and was handed down through multiple generations in my DIL's family. The person from each generation who made it best was chosen to make dinner rolls from it at every holiday or get together. My Son married the right gal. Oh, and it makes great fry bread (scones) as well. I suspect it would be great for long johns and jelly filled doughnuts too. But go ahead and make dinner rolls from it. You won't be disappointed.

Jeni’s Yeast Potato Rolls
Ingredients:
1lb Potatoes (aprox 3 med potatoes) Cooked and mashed. ( you can use instant potatoes if you wish too)
-Reserve 1/2 cup of liquid from boiling potatoes
-Mix: 1 1/2 C warm milk
1/2 C oil
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 TBS salt

If potato water is cool enough add 2TBS of Yeast to water and then add to previous mixture.
Add 7.5 C flour ( dough will be soft) and I usually mix the last cup or so into mixture by hand kneading
Let raise till double then roll out and cut into circles with a biscuit cutter, or glass that's been dipped in flour. Dip the circles in melted butter, fold in half and place on greased pan.
Let raise again. Bake @ 350 for 15 min until golden brown.
There you go, hope it works out for you
Jeni

It worked for me. The rolls are fabulous.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Linda123]

Thanks. i tried the potato rolls (with instant mashed taters) but my family requested I go back to my original recipe....I am assuming now the amount of sugar I put in the rolls just makes a heavier roll than I would like.

I had a different outcome today - I made 2 separate (identical, I thought) batches and the tops of the second batch split....I've never had that happen before with yeast bread. Does anyone know what caused that? I took a picture but lost patience when it wouldn't upload.

Thanks.